Conveyer



Dec. 31, 1946. F. STADELMAN 2,413,339

CONVEYER 4 `Filed May 6, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 G Il l u, u

1N VEN @lie-gian Dec. 31, 1946. F, STADELMAN 2,413,339

CONVEYER Filed May 6, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Dec. 31, 1946. F, STADEITMAN 2,413,339

C ON VEYER Filed May 6, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR.

Dec. 31, 1946. F STADELMAN 2,413,339 y CONVEYERv Filed May 6, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 mmf cfpfmn Dc. 31, 1946. F. STADELMAN y2,413,339

C ONVEYER Filed May, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 31, 1946 Frank Stadelman, Cranford,l N. `1.,'assignor to Latendori' Conveying Corporation, Bayonne, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 6, 1944, SerialNo. 534,455 9 Claims. (Cl. 198-182) 'I'he present invention relates to conveying systems and it relates more particularly to conveyers of the endless belt type.

An object of .the present invention is to provide a new and improved conveyer which is simple, inexpensive and eilicient in construction and operation and which requires a minimum of v parts. Another object of the present invention is to provide an endless-belt .type .conveyer which operates with minimum wear and power loss. A further object of the present invention is to provide an endless-belt type conveyer which is equally well adapted for use on straight runs and around curves, as for example 180 curves.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a conveyer in which the endless-belt" element is provided with slack which permits it to follow a bed" having curves or inclines therein.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention are apparent in the following detailed description, appended claims and accompanying drawings.

In the endless-belt type conveyer art, the problems of providing satisfactory conveyers for variously-inclined paths and particularly for curved paths have received considerable attention, but

have never heretofore been adequately solved.

I n conventional constructions heretofore, employed, extremely complicated mechanisms -have been proposed to permit .the conveyer element to go around curves as well as on straight runs. Such conventional constructions have been very expensive to produce, and have been subject to frequent failures of operation due to the complexity of the conveyer element and of the driving mechanism. As a result,'most conventional constructions heretofore used, have Aemployed separate conveyer elements for straight runs and for curves and have also employed separate conveyer elements for each differently-inclined portion of the path. l

These conventional systems, have required different type conveyer elements for each curve of different radius of curvature and for a straight run, which further increased the cost of installation and maintenance.

I have found that the diiiiculties discussed above are due to the fact that the conveyer element of conventional construction has always been taut in operation with the result that the element is capable of following only a single predetermined path (either straight or fixed curvature). Furthermore, the tautness of conventional conveyer elements has resulted in excessive wear I 2 of .the elements as wellas ofthe supporting bed and driving mechanism due to friction.

According to the presentv invention, there is 4 provided, for the rst time, a conveyer element which operates with slack which permits .the ele-- ment to run loose under the pull of the driving means. In this way, friction and wear are, re-

duced to a minimum and, by employing suitably flexible belting," the conveyer element is enabled to move, not only 'along straight runs, but also along curves and differently-angled inclines.

In brief, the present invention contemplates the use of a. flexible conveyer element or belt having a greater-than-normal length so that, when driven by suitable driving means ata point along itspath, a slack zone or loop will result behind .the driving means which permits the conveyer element to run loose The present inventioncontemplates, as a further feature, the use, with vthe foregoing mechanism, of a conveyer element made` of transversely-extending metal links which vare interconnected chain-wise to give play so that when the element, running "loose as described above, is pulled-along a curved path, the transversely-extending links arrange themselves generally radially of .the curve to permit the conveyer element to assume a curved config- Y uration.

For the purpose of illustrating the-present invention, there are shown and described herein embodiments which are at present preferred since I arranged and organized and that the present invention is not limited tothe embodiments specifically disclosed.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout;v

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 represents a fragmentary cross-sectional view generally along the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 represents a cross-sectional view generally along the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 represents a schematic perspective view of a modied form of the present invention employing double drive means.

Figure 5 represents a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention adapted for conveying articles from one floor to the next.

Figure y6 represents a fragmentary plan-view,

3 on an enlarged scale, of the conveyer` belt of Figure 1. as it appears when the belt is moving along a straight run. A

Figure 7 represents a view similar to that of Figure 6 but showing the -belt as it appears when moving along a curve.

Figure 8 represents a plan view of another embodiment of the present invention adapted to effect a 90 change in the direction of conveyer travel.

Figure 9 represents a vertical cross-sectional view generally along the lines 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 represents a vertical cross-sectional view generally along the lines ill-III of Figure 8.

Figure 11 represents an elevational view looking generally in the direction of the arrows I I-I I of Figure 8. I

Figure 12 represents a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing the bearings of the drive rolls of the embodiment of Figure 8.

Referring now more particularly to the embodiment of Figures .1, '2 and 3, I may provide a conveyer frame, indicated generally by the reference l longitudinal expansion and contraction of the belt.

As shown in Figure 2, the portion I3 of the upper` working bed II extends somewhat beyond the end of the return bed I2, and driving means are provided thereunder for said belt I6. The driving means includes a pair of juxtaposed rubber-surfaced driving rolls I1 and I8. The upper roll l1 is a power roll, lbeing driven by a motor I9, through a spur 2U, a chain 2I and a sprocketwheel 22; the sprocket-wheel 22 being keyed to the shaft 23 of the roll I1. Conventional speed reduction gearing-(not shown) may be provided intermediate the motor I9 and the Spur 20.

The lower roll I8 is an idler backing roll which is provided with a rounded edge 28 (similar to the edge 21) over which the belt passes in going employed) but permits the belt readily t0 adapt itself to the semi-circular portion or curve I5 and to pass around said curve with a minimum of friction, resistance, slippage and power loss.

That is, with the belt running slack, the individual links thereof, which normally parallel each other as shown in Figure 6, are readily capable of rearranging themselves along radial lines (i. e. lines normal to the curve) so that the belt assumes the curved configuration shown in Figure '7 and conforms to the shape of the portion I5 of the bed I l.

Thus, it is possible according to the present invention, to provide a simple and inexpensive conveyer adapted equally Well to go around curves and along straight runs Except for the conveyer belt and the drive rolls, no moving parts whatever ar'e involved. This makes the construction of the present invention immeasurably superior to comparable constructions heretofore employed, which required extremely complex and intricate mechanisms to attain a similar result much less effectively.

Furthermore, the present construction eliminates the necessity for the heavy take-ups required in conventional constructions employing a taut belt and a non-resilient drive pulley. The spring-pressed resilient-surfaced drive-rolls of the present invention grip the belt tightly so that it .cannot slip. Thus, the belt is pulled positively along its working run even though it is relatively slack. As stated above, this results in much more eilcient operation than is the case with conventional constructions wherein there is considerable power loss and wear due to the heavy take-ups" v which are needed to maintain the tautness necis rotatably mounted on a shaft 24 by means of roller 4bearings 39. The shaft 2l is urged upwardly by coil springs 25 bearing against its ends. Thus,l the roll I8 presses the intervening portion of the belt I6 up against the roll Il and thereby provides a friction drive for said belt.

As can be seen particularly in Figures 1 and 2, the belt I6 is made somewhat oversize in length relative to the total length of the beds II and .I2

so that a relatively slack loop 26 is formed therein in front of the driving rolls I1 and I8, That is, when the power roll I1 is rotating counterclockwise -in Figure 2 and is pulling the belt I6 along its return run, the slack loop 26 is formed adia- 'cent the outer end of the bed II; the belt passing over the rounded edge 21 of the portion I3 of the bed II to enter its working run. It the roll I'I were made to rotate clockwise, by reversing the motor I9 or by shifting through conventional reversing gears (not shown), the belt I8 would be pulled in the opposite direction, i. e. over the rounded edge 21, and the slack loop 26 would be formed on the other side of the driving rolls (on the left in Figure 2).

The free end of the other straight portion Il essary before the non-resilient drive pulley will drive the belt.

Moreover, in conventional taut-belt constructions, large-diameter rolls are required at the ends of the working run since, otherwise, excessive friction would result at the sharp bend-zones of the taut belt. In the present construction on the other hand, these rollers can be dispensed with and can be replaced with the small rounded edges over which the slack belt can move without appreciable friction or wear. These small rounded edges also permits the working run to be brought close to the juxtaposed end of a feeding or takeoff conveyer Whereas the conventional large-diameter edge-rollers heretofore used necessarily result in an undesirable gap between the ends of connecting conveyer belts.

I'I-b so that, should they get out of phase. th l respectively.

In this embodiment, I may provide rolls 34'a and 94-b for the ends of the working run (in place of the rounded edges 21 and 28 of Figure l) In place, of the constructionl shown in Figure are slidably mounted on bolts and areurged upwardly thereon by coil springs 1I'.

4, Iv mayemploy any conventional differential mechanism in driving the rolls lI-a and I'I-b from the motor I9; as for example the differential mechanism employed with automobile driving wheels.

In Figure 5, I have shown another embodiment of the present invention which is adapted for conveying articles from one iloor to the next above. In this embodiment, a working bed 35, having an inner retaining wall or shoulder 38, is provided in the shape of a spiral over which the belt I8 runs vertically, generally axially of the spiral. The power roll I'I and the spring-pressed roll I8 grip the belt I8 at the bottom of its return run and pull it along; the slack loop 26 being formed in front of the rolls Il and I8 as described hereinabove. Y

It is evident that this construction permits easy elevation of articles from the lower iloor` 36 to the upper oor 91 of Figure 5', a relatively "tlght spiral is possible with a highly desirable 'reduction in floor space required and with elimination of the complex, bulky and expensive mechanisms heretofore required `for conveyers of this type.

Furthermore, it is not necessary for the belt,V

on its return run, to follow the necessarily tortuous path of the working run; it being possible for the return run to follow a straight path as described above. This results in lower initial cost, lower wear and lower power consumption.

In Figures 8 to 12, I have shown another embodiment of the present invention which is adapted to effect a 90 turn in a conveyer path. This embodiment includes an L-shaped bed having arms 40 and 4I which constitute the feed and take-oil' ends respectively thereof.

Retaining walls or shoulders 62 and 43 are provided along the inner and outer sides respectively of said bed.

The arm 40 is divided into three narrow beds 4d, 45 and 96 by intermediate separating shoulders 4l and 98; the innermost bed M being shortest in length and the outermost bed d8 being longest as can be seen particularly in Figure 8.

'I'he arm di is similarly divided into narrow beds 99, 50 and 5I by the intermediate separating shoulders 52 and 53. The inner en ds of the ,beds 49, 50,and 5I extend to the outer edgesof the beds 44, 45 and t6 respectively.

A rounded edge 56 and a slot 55 are provided at the inner end of each of the beds as, as, es,

.49, so and si.

Rounded edges 56 and 51 are provided at the outer ends of the arms BIJ and 4I respectively.

Flexible endless conveyer belts 58, 59, 60, 6I, 62 and 83 (similar to belt I6 but` of appropriate length) are provided for the beds H9, 65, 66. t9, 58 and 5I respectively.

A rubber-surfaced power roll 64 is mounted underneath the arm ydll; the shaft 65 of said roll 84 being joumalled in end roller-bearings 86. A rubber-surfaced backing roll 61 is disposed beneath the roll 84. The shaft 88 of said backing roll''l is mounted in end roller-bearings S9 which Similar rolls 84 and 81 are .mounted underneath thearmll.

The drive rolls under the arm 40 operatively engage the belts 58, 59 and 60 and pull the beltsv so that their upper working runs move inwardly along the beds M, l5 and I8.

v The drive rolls under the arm 4I grip the belts` 6I, 62 and v63 'and pull said belts so that their upper working runs move outwardly along Athe beds 49, 5U and 5I. A

It is apparent' that articles (as for example loaves of bread) which are brought tothe outer end of the arm 40 (for example .by a straight conveyer,l not shown) will be picked up and carried inwardly by the belts 58, 59 and 80 until they are picked up by the perpendicularly moving belts SI, 82 and 83 which in turn carry them outward along the arm 4I to the outer end thereof from which they can be kcarried -away by a straight conveyer (not shown).

As can be seen particularly in Figures 9, 10 and 11, the belts 58, 59, 60, 8|, 62 and 83 are somewhat oversizein length so that slack loops are formed in front of the drive rolls and so that the belts are relatively slack on their working runs as described hereinabove. This permits the use of the small rounded edges in place of the rollers otherwise needed and allows the perpendicularly arranged belts to be brought in close proximity so that there is no undesirable gap therebetween. Moreover, the use of the spring-urged rubbersurfaced drive rolls and the slack belts eliminates the takefups otherwise needed for each individual belt.

I have found that (dueto the elimination of the end rollers, take-ups, etc.) the embodiment of Figure 8 can be manufactured for less than half the cost of 'a corresponding taut-belt unit heretofore employed.

It is obvious that, by mountingtwo unitsendto-end, the embodiment of Figure 8 can be used to effect a change in the direction-of a conveyer path.

Other modications of the prevent invention are possible and are contemplated. l

Thus, in place of the rubber-surfaced drive rolls II and I8, other types of drives (such as for example, a single large diameter roll,l or a sprocket wheel or belt) may be employed. h

Other types of flexible belting may be employed in place of the purely illustrativebelt I6. l y It is possible to use any number of drive rolls or the like where it is desired to distribute the driving force more evenly.

Because of the slack condition of the belt, it will conform to a working bed having different angles of elevation, with which conventional .taut belts cannot be used because of their tendency to be lifted upward and oi the bed when the bed changes from lesser to greater inclination.

Thus in the embodiment of- Figure 5, for example, the belt I6 conforms accurately to the spiral bed even though the lowermost and uppermost portions thereof have lesser inclination than the intermediate portions thereof. y

Similarly, the slack belt of the present invention would conform accurately to a bed havingA a plurality of straight differently-inclined por? tions. f v

The present invention may be embodied in other forms and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicatethe scope 4of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: f

1. In a conveyer, a exible endless belt comprising a web of interconnected elements having freedom for transversely-differential lengthwise expansion and contraction arranged in a working run and a return run, a bed supporting the working run and including a laterally-curved portion, and driving means engaged with the return run only of the beit for pulling said return run, the web of said belt being longer than the combined lengths of the working and return runs whereby a slack zone is formed immediately in front of said driving means and whereby the working run is loosely disposed on said bed so that the interconnected elements are free to expand and contract around the laterally-curved portion of said bed.

2. In a conveyer, a flexible endless belt comprising a web of interconnected elements having freedom for transversely-differential lengthwise expansion and contraction arranged in a working run and a return run, a bed supporting the working run and including a straight portion and a laterally-curved portion, and driving means engaged with the return run only of the belt for pulling said return run, the web of said belt being longer than the combined lengths of the working and return runs whereby a slack zone is formed immediately in front of said driving means and whereby the working run is loosely disposed on said bed so that the inter-connected elements are free to expand and contract around the laterallycurved portion of said bed and are free to assume a straight-line configuration along the straight portion of the bed.

3. In a conveyer, a flexible endless belt comprising a web of 'interconnected elements having freedom for transversely-differential lengthwise expansion and contraction arranged in a working run and a return run, a bed supporting the working run and including a U-shaped laterallycurved portion, and driving means resiliently engaged with the return run only of the belt for pulling said returnrun, the web of said belt being longer than the combined lengths of the working and return runs whereby a slack zone is formed immediately in front of said driving means and whereby the working run is loosely disposed on said bed so that the interconnected elements are i ree to expand and contract around the laterallycurved portion of said bed.

4. In a conveyer, a flexible endless belt comprising a web of interconnected elements having freedom for transversely-differential lengthwise expansion and contraction arranged in a working run and a return run, a bed supporting the working run and including a laterally-curved portion. a second bed supporting the return run, and driving means engaged with the return .run only of the belt for pulling said return run, the web of said belt being longer than the combined lengths of the working and return runs whereby a slack zone is formed immediately in front of said driving means and whereby the working run is loosely disposed on said bed so that the interconnected elements are free to expand and contract around the laterally-curved portion of said bed.

5. In a conveyer, a flexible longitudinally expansible and contractible endless belt having a working run and a return run', a stationary bed providing continuous and uninterrupted support for said working run, and driving means frictionally engaging said return run only, the length of said belt being greater than the combined lengths of the working and return runs whereby a slack zone is formed immediately in front of said driving means, said belt being 'devoid of take-up means.

6. In a conveyer, a iiexible endless belt capable of longitudinal expansion and contraction and having a working run and a return run disposed below said working run, a bed-supporting said working run, and a pair of juxtaposed driving rolls resiliently engaging said return run adjacent one end thereof, the length of said belt being greater than the combined lengths of the working and return runs whereby a slack zone is formed immediately in front of said driving rolls, said slack zone extending from said driving rolls to the front edge of said bed.

7. In a conveyer, a flexible endless belt capable of longitudinal expansion and contraction and having a working run and a return run disposed below said working run, a bed supporting said working run, a' second bed supporting said return run, and a pair of juxtaposed driving rolls resiliently engaging said return run adjacent one end thereof, the lengtnof said belt being greater than the combined lengths of the working yand return runs whereby a slack Zone is formed immediately in front of said driving rolls, said slack zone extending from said driving rolls to the edge of one of said beds.

8. In a conveyer, a flexible endless belt having a working run and a return run, a bed supporting said working run, driving means operatively engaging said return run adjacent both ends thereof, the length of said belt being greater than the combined lengths of the working and return runs whereby a slack zone is formed immediately in front of each of said driving means and whereby the working run is loosely disposed on said bed.

9. In a conveyer, a flexible endless belt having a working run and a return run, said belt comprising a web of interconnected elements having freedom for transversely-differential lengthwise expansion and contraction, a bed supporting said working run, said beclv having a curve and a straight portion, driving means operatively engaging said return run adjacent both ends thereof, the length of said belt being greater than the combined lengths of the working and return runs whereby a slack zone is formed immediately in front of each of said driving means and whereby the working run is loosely disposed on said bed and is free to conform to the curve as well as the straight portion of said bed.

FRANK STADLMAN. 

